Somme Institute – I’m Seeing Dots

Somme Institute skincare was created on the basis that other skincare products fell short of what they claimed to deliver. It was created in 1994 by the Institute and a leading group of independent researchers and dermatologist from the US who tracked over 5,000 participants during a 7 year period and the results they achieved utilizing advanced UV technologies.  Pretty impressive statistics to be garnered over those years with that number of participants.

What was created out of that is the basis of their line called MDT5 or Molecular Dispersion Technology if you want the long version. It’s a patented delivery system that goes directly and deeply into the skin for visible improvements in the skin. From acne to aging, there are some pretty impressive results that are shown on their website with before and after photos.

The core products are shown above, all dot coded in different colors for each step of the 5 step process. Some people may balk at the idea of 5 steps to use daily to take care of the skin. For me, that was not an issue. The only added step for me was the purple dotted jar which is the Transport step. Here’s a breakdown of the core products:

1. Blue dot – Moisturizing Cleanser.  This is a lotion texture cleanser that dissolves dirt and impurities and has the MDT5 technology.
2. Purple dot – Transport.  These are cotton pads that are soaked in AHA and MDT5 to exfoliate dead skin cells and delivers vitamins to encourage cell renewal.
3. Orange dot – Serum.  This contains a potent and stabilized Vitamin C along with a high concentration of the MDT5 to strengthen skin’s elasticity and smooth the appearance of fine lines.
4. Green dot – A-Bomb. This is the moisturizer which is lightweight and it contains high levels of Vitamins A & E and the MDT5 to soften fine lines and wrinkles and target trouble areas.
5. Pink dot – Double Defense.  A lightweight SPF 30+ with Parsol 1789 to protect the skin and lock in moisture.

When I began using the system after it was sent to me for testing, I instantly liked a few of the products of the 5 step line. The cleanser is one of those pieces I instantly liked. The texture is great, it leaves the skin clean and soft and silky feeling without any kind of filmy feeling. The Transport is one step that I needed to adjust when using. A bit of advice – do not put this on an open sore! I had a pimple that was recently extracted and YEOW! It stung like the crazy for a bit. I did feel this to be a bit drying at first and had to cut back on how often I used it. Twice a day was too much for sure, then I adjusted the first week to use it every other day and worked up my tolerance to daily. The serum I really like and is a nice texture and goes on smoothly. The A-Bomb, while a more dense cream than a lotion, I felt my skin needed a bit more hydration in the dead of winter with the drying seasonal elements. This would be a perfect weight moisturizer for my skin more towards spring and summer. The Double Defense SPF is another piece I really like. It’s lightweight and absorbs quickly and I don’t feel like it is filmy like many other sunscreens can. Overall, I really like this system and after a few weeks I did notice that an area on my face that has some light shading from sun damage was lightened, and the texture of my skin feels smooth and plump.

There are a few additional products in the line: eye, neck and tinted moisturizer. I did not test these pieces, but I wish the eye treatment were part of the core product line. I view that as always an important step in a core skincare product line.  Somme Institute products are available online and at spa locations throughout the US.